12 Stars Who Went Back To School Later In Life

Find out what these celebs said about their college experience…

Glen Powell had just finished his freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin when he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. Although he put his education on hold, he decided to return to school years later. By the time his career took off following Top Gun: Maverick, he only had two credits left to graduate -- and had to finish up school while working on his film, The Running Man.

“I’m not going to be sitting in a class with other students on the regular. I’m basically going to be coming back because I have to finish up, but I’m going to be shooting The Running Man in the fall. So I’m going to be in London, but I am going to be going back for proctored exams. So, they’re letting me figure it out [with] distance learning,” he told IndieWire.

He continued, “And I’m obviously going to be coming in, Zooming in for classes and whatnot, but I have to be back for the proctored exams. So, we’re figuring that out for two or three times a semester, I’ll come back for all my stuff.”

In 2021, Leah Remini decided to return to school, attending college for the very first time. Growing up in Scientology, Leah had only received an 8th grade education. It took her decades to decide to pursue higher education, explaining that she didn’t think she was smart enough -- but she was eventually accepted to New York University and later earned her associate’s degree. She’s now working on her bachelor’s degree. 

“Three years ago, I embarked on a terrifying journey: becoming a college student at the age of 50 after only having an 8th-grade education and spending 35 years in a totalitarian cult. After three years of hard work, long nights, tears, and wanting to give up so many times, I have earned an associate’s degree from NYU,” Leah wrote on Instagram. 

She added, “I know I am in a position of privilege that has offered me the flexibility to do this. But over the past three years, I’ve heard from thousands of people, especially women, who have decided to take the leap at an older age and get their GED or pursue a college education. Whether a cult used to control your life, you have a full-time job as a stay-at-home parent, or full-time job(s) outside of the home,  it’s never too late to continue your education and pursue what you have always wanted to achieve for yourself!”

In 2022, Anthony Anderson officially graduated from college -- an accomplishment decades in the making. The actor previously attended Howard University as a young man but ran out of money for tuition after his junior year and was forced to drop out. Years later, when his son Nathan enrolled in the school, Anthony decided it was time to finally finish his degree. He worked with the university on a specialized curriculum that he could take online -- and ended up finishing around the same time as his son. 

“Words can’t begin to describe the emotional roller coaster I’m on right now. It’s literally been 30 years in the making,” he wrote on Instagram. “This spring I was finally able to complete the work to graduate from Howard University with a BFA degree from the Chadwick A Boseman College of Fine Arts! Yesterday was a full circle moment. It’s never too late! Things happen when they’re supposed to happen…Thank you to my son for inspiring me to return to school to finish my degree after he was accepted into Howard University. This is just the beginning!”

Bryce Dallas Howard attended New York University as a teenager but never completed her degree because she got an Off-Broadway acting job. Despite leaving school, she always intended to return and constantly deferred her degree instead of dropping out. She eventually returned to campus and graduated in 2020.

“I wasn’t at all intimidated by the fact I would be decades older than the majority of graduates. My husband and I did the math and realized that many babies born the year I first started NYU were probably graduating alongside me, which made me even more excited. How wild, how weird, and what a great story,” Bryce told People.

Oprah Winfrey was just one credit shy of graduating from Tennessee State University, which she attended while she was working as a news anchor for CBS. Her work commitments prevented her from obtaining that final credit but when she was asked to return to the school to speak at its commencement years later, she knew she had to graduate first. She ended up completing the coursework and turning in her final paper before taking the stage at the ceremony.

“I’d made a movie, had been nominated for an Oscar and founded my company, Harpo. But I told them, I cannot come and give a speech unless I can earn one more credit...So, I finished my coursework, I turned in my final paper and I got the degree,” Oprah said in a speech at Stanford.

While Eva Longoria was starring on Desperate Housewives she obtained her master's degree in Chicano and Chicana Studies from California State University Northridge. She was inspired to return to school after reading Occupied America, which was written by a professor at the university.

“I wrote the author and I said, ‘I would love to sit with you one day and pick your brain. This book changed my life.’ And he said, ‘Come on down, I’m at CSUN.’...So, I got to meet with him and interview him about the struggles of Mexican-Americans in the U.S. And he said, ‘You should take my class. It’s online. It’s Chicano Studies 101.’ I took one online class, and I was hooked...It was so fulfilling in a way I couldn’t even imagine,” Eva told CSUN Magazine.

Ashley Judd’s educational journey took her almost two decades. While she initially enrolled at the University of Kentucky as a teen, she ended up dropping out when she was just one course short of graduating in order to pursue her acting career. She finally completed her degree 17 years later, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in French in 2007, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

She went on to continue her education and in 2010, she received her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Then in 2016, she was accepted into UC Berkeley’s Ph.D. program in public policy.

After landing some smaller roles, including the lead in Disney Channel’s Gotta Kick It Up, America Ferrera began her degree at the University of Southern California. When she was cast in Ugly Betty she ended up having to take an extended leave of absence but returned to finish her degree a decade later. In 2012, she graduated with a degree in International Relations.

“I’m walking in my college graduation in 3 days from @USCDornsife! It’s finally happening! Took me 10 years, but it feels great,” America tweeted at the time.

James Franco initially enrolled at UCLA as a teenager but after just a year at the school, he dropped out to pursue an acting career. Years later, he decided to return because he felt that he was missing the challenge of academia in his life. He was able to convince the university to allow him to take an intensive courseload, at one point taking 62 credits in one quarter -- three times the allowable maximum. In 2008, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with a focus on creative writing. 

“I wanted to take more classes than that. I wasn’t going back to school just to get by with a little amount of work,” James told UCLA Magazine. 

In 2016, Nick Cannon was 35 and decided to enroll at Howard University. He explained that after being diagnosed with lupus several years prior, he had a new lease on life and wanted to make sure that he accomplished all that he dreamed of doing. He also wanted to be a good influence on his kids as well as other children who looked up to him. In 2020, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminology/administration of justice with a minor in African studies -- and had the chance to speak during the virtual commencement ceremony. 

“I am always seeking new challenges and continual growth and decided to obtain my first college degree from an institution that has a proven legacy of producing great minds,” Nick shared in his speech. “I have friends, mentors and colleagues who attended Howard University. I look forward to this new journey in my life and am excited about the possibilities ahead.”

Basketball superstar Michael Jordan played for the University of North Carolina as a teenager but when he was a junior, he was drafted into the NBA, leaving his college life behind. After playing professionally for several years, he returned to school in 1986 to finish his degree, eventually receiving a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Geography.

Almost four decades after dropping out of Cal State Long Beach, Steven Spielberg returned to campus to complete his degree. He reportedly studied a variety of subjects during his time in school, including a Natural Science class.

“He turned in his term paper just like everyone else. It was longer than most, well-written, and no grammatical errors,” one of his professors told the L.A. Times.